| Angry | Despressed | Afraid | Faith |
| Healing | Hope | LifeAfterDeath | Discouraged |
| Suffering | Marriage | Divorce | Forgiveness |
| Trouble | Miscellaneous |
or Use "Scriptures" from the home page and search for a text.
Depressed
(Phillipians Chapters 3,4)
Life can be hard sometimes. Things certainly
don't work out the way we thought or how we wanted them too. Why me? Consider
the words of Paul, "I consider everything a loss
compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for
whose sake I have lost all things (Philippians 3: 8). Everything
we have we enjoy for a moment. It is said that there is little difference
between a long life and a short life, each is but a moment in time. But
no matter our loss, we must remember this simple truth, seek you first
the kingdom of God. Start with being thankful for what God has given you
and don't waste your time comparing yourself with someone else, God has
sent us all down different paths. And it is eternal life that we ultimately
cling to, for all men enter the world and leave the world the same way.
So pray a prayer of thanks, call on the Lord for deliverance and
trust that He will always take care of you.
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Angry (Proverbs
29:11, Psalm 86:15)
Anger is a basic emotion. We feel anger when
we believe we have been hurt or injured. However, we must control
ourselves, "A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself
under control.(Proverbs 29:11)" When we are full of rage we cannot think
clearly and often make rash decisions without prudent consideration
given to the consequences. It is o.k. to be angry sometimes and there is
righteous anger. But we must follow the example of our Lord, "But you,
O Lord, are a compassiounate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding
in love and faithfulness.(Psaml 86:15)" In following God's example we do
not allow the Devil to get a foothold in our lives. It is better to turn
the other cheek or escape the situation than it is to fight with an angry
person, if at all possible. Instead of seeking confrontation attempt conciliation
and patience and if this doesn't work escape the situation before it turns
you into an instrument of evil.
Afraid (John
14:1) (Matthew 6: 25-34)
Everyone knows what it is to be afraid, everyone
knows fear. There is alot to be afraid of in the world. We fear physical
harm, surgery, financial failure, shame, divorce and of course death. Sometimes
we feel afraid for others particularly our loved ones. The basis for this
fear is real. The world is a risky place, that is why we have insurance
companies. The financial markets are all about risk and reward. Fear can
immobolize us and make us panic, unable to function. Christ asks us to
relax and put all our trust in him, "Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God, trust also in Me.(John 14:1)" When we put all our fear in
God's hands we are able to go on living without anxiety and with a confidence
knowing that God is on the job protecting us. This doesn't mean that we
will never know tragedy but that He will never put us in a situation that
we cannot handle.
Faith (
Ephesians 2:8, 1 Peter 2:2, 2 Thessalonians1:3, Hebrews 6:1-3)
Being a Christian is a challenging proposition
in a world of doubt where one has to fight for their faith. Most
of us live in an increasingly diverse and scientific world that seems to
be more willing to believe in the 'X-files' and $2.99/minute psychics than
it does in the reality of God. Which makes sense because if one admits
to the soveriegnty of God one is immediately accountable in everything
one does. The world prefers to live in denial because if man is the centre
of all things then man is accountable to no one. Christ demonstrated
his deity through his miracles and deeds. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote 'The
arguments for the existence of God', which dealt with issues such as where
did the first bit of energy come from, where did the first matter come
from, how did something come from nothing, etc..But Christ calls us to
Him. Indeed, it is our very belief that Jesus Christ is God, that He died
for our sins and that He will call us home that guarantees our passage
to heaven and salvation from hell.
Hope (Hebrews
6:19)
In this passage we are assured that hope is not
in vain. We can trust that God has a plan for us and for our lives. This
plan was laid out eons before the creation of the universe which
demonstrates how profoundly special each of our lives are and how important
we are to God. That plan for our lives which God set down is what He has
determined is best for us and though we may not know what life has in store
for us next we can be assured that everything is working out the way it
was meant to."...we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us
may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul,
firm and secure.(Hebrews 6:18,19)" Firm in our faith and the certainty
of our passage to heaven through Christ we can trust beyond any hope in
complete anticipation of a glorious future.
LifeAfterDeath
(Revelation 21: 1-8)
What happens when we die? We know what happens
to our bodies, they decay and return to the earth. If there was no life
after death having life would really make very little difference. In this
passage in Revelation we get a glimpse of what we can expect Life after
Death to be like. It is not life like we know it here with constant difficulties
and dangers lurking all around us. It is a place where there is only joy
and happiness. It is not some silly smile-fest or a pluck til you drop
harp marathon in the clouds but true fulfillment and satisfaction, an exciting
eternal existence, never boring. You'll be having so much fun it is indescribable.
If we really appreciated how great heaven is we will probably be kicking
ourselves in paradise wondering why we were so apprehensive on coming in
the first place. Christ has gone to prepare a place for us. Hurray!!!
Discouraged (
2 Chronicles 20:17)
In this passage, God bids us to not let life's
challenges overwhelm us. Often when things seem too difficult we just want
to quit because we feel that we cannot succeed. But God says, "take up
your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you...Do
not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow and
the Lord will be with you". We never face any problem alone. God and his
angels are always there to give us the support we need. Success in business
for example has more to do with tenacity, a never quit attitude a never
stop trying attitude than it has to do with having a great idea. God tells
us to take up the challenge and stand firm knowing that he will deliver
us in His time. Trust in God and wait patiently on Him while working diligently
towards your goal.
Suffering
(Job 36:15)
Suffering is part of life. No one lives without
spending some time suffering. We should not be surprised that many forms
of suffering will afflict us in our lives, that's life. But suffering is
good for the soul because it is usually during this time that we more readily
turn to God for deliverance. We become more spiritually aware. Most of
us are like people with a fire truck at the fire station. We leave the
fire truck there and forget about it in our daily lives and its only when
there's a fire do we call on the fire truck for help. We must remember
to keep God in our hearts and minds in good times as well as bad. But in
those bad times full of suffering God is faithful, "But those who suffer
He delivers in their suffering; He speaks to them in their affliction."
St. Paul said that when he was weak in body he was strong in spirit. In
those dark hours we often just want God to take away our pain and make
us strong again, but don't be discouraged for it is in these times of hardship
that the souls of the saints are forged like iron for His service.
Divorce(Malachi
2:16)
Throughout the Bible,
God is clear about His feelings on Divorce, "I hate Divorce", says God.
Divorce is the ending of a marriage and the breaking of vows husband and
wife made to one another before God. God only allows three reasons for
divorce; adultery, falling away from the faith and death. Getting a divorce
because you don't feel like being married any more or thinking you have
found something better is not acceptable. Divorce is like a death. Unfortunately,
while it takes two to make a marriage work it only takes one to make divorce
work. Still, it is always better to try to work out the problems instead
of seeking a divorce. Forgiveness is so important in marriage and perhaps
the three most important words after 'I love you' is 'I am sorry'. It's
really difficult to practise the one without saying the other. However,
sometimes divorce is thrust upon you despite all attempts to the contrary.
Forgive and forget then trust in God to deliver you and lead you to where
He wants you.
Forgiveness
(Psalm 130, Acts 10:43, Ephesians 1:7,8)
There is no greater source of healing than the
power of forgiveness. Without forgiveness there could be no end to war,
no resolution of conflict in families, between friends or among co-workers.
When we forgive we not only allow a relationship to heal but we give something
to ourselves also. In forgivesness we leave behind all the hurt and emnity
while creating a path to where life may flourish again.We can make
ourselves physically ill if we cling to our angst and refuse to let the
healing waters of forginveness flow. When we forgive we put away anger
and hate and put on love and understanding.
"In Him we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches He lavished on us
with all wisdom and understanding". Sometimes its difficult to receive
forgiveness. We may feel so guilty about something that we feel we must
suffer in order to get the forgiveness we deserve. But guilt can be a good
thing. It demonstrates that our connection to God is still alive. It brings
about humility and the elimination of arrogance. When we feel sorry for
our wrongs and humbly come to the Lord for forgiveness we know absolutely
that God will forgive us even though He knows that we will continue to
sin. This doesn't mean we can go on doing wrong as if we can get away with
it. It means that sin is a constant daily struggle in thought, word and
deed. May we forgive those who trepass against us as He forgives us who
sin even more against Him.
Healing
(Matthew 9:21-22)
Throughout His ministry
on earth Christ healed the sick of every age. He made the blind see, the
deaf hear and the dead rise up and walk away. Christ is acutely sensitive
of the suffering of people and the need for them to get better. Our Lord's
benevolence sent him to the poorest of the poor, to the lepers to you and
me. Sickness and death come to all of us in life; its just a matter of
time. Pray continuously to the Lord for the strength to endure, trusting
in His grace to deliver you in His time. When we suffer we may wonder if
God has abandoned us or what could be the possible reason for this agony.
St.Paul wrote (2 Corinthians 12:10) about the affliction that he suffered
during his life. He wanted God to heal him but the Lord didn't for
the purpose of keeping St.Paul from becoming conceited. The Lord
told him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect
in weakness." God uses illness to keep our sinful nature in check. We are
naughty children who like to eat a plateful of cookies then run outside
and play without ever thinking to say thank you for the cookies. God
reminds us that we are not long for this world and all reliance for our
continued existance is dependent on Him. For when we are weak, then we
are strong in the Lord. As our strength in the Lord grows, we become more
able to be used in His service and are drawn ever closer to Him. So next
time you are ill, consider your plight to be a spiritual training exercise
with a divine trophy to be had at the end of the race. You're not sick,
you're in training!!!
Troubles
(Psalm 34:19)
The book of Psalms is
a tremendous source of inspiration when we have problems in general in
our lives. The psalms extoll God's relationship with each person
and make frequent reference to the salvation of those who live under
the threat of a superior force. Shakespeare wrote that when troubles come
the come not as single spies but in battalions. Such is the overwhelming
nature of troubles, indeed if we could handle them without difficulty they
would be no trouble at all! "A righteous man may have many troubles but
the Lord delivers him from them all." We should expect many difficulties
in our lives. To be without trouble of some kind is an almost unnatural
existance. When trouble comes we should first put on the full armor of
God by prayer, bible study and meditation. Flee to the Lord and lay your
problems at His feet trusting in Christ to go with you as you solve this
problem. One must work to solve any difficulty. It's not enough to
just lay back, put up your feet and say, relax, God will take care of it.
The Lord works with us to solve our difficulties and we can trust Him to
carry us in those time when we could not carry on by ourselves.
If you have any problems
that you would like to discuss confidentially why don't you send an email
to makey@wcl.on.ca and we will email you back and get a dialogue going.
God Bless!!!